Council authorizes additional expenditures from Morgan County Jail commissary fund

The Morgan County Council approved a resolution March 3 authorizing additional expenditures from the Morgan County Jail commissary fund and clarifying permitted uses. The vote was 7-0.

The jail commander presented the item and said Morgan County has not had problems of misuse but that state stakeholders and the State Board of Accounts have pushed for clearer rules and reporting after indictments in other counties. “This really just cleans it up, makes it more transparent,” the commander said, adding that the county has historically used the fund for approved purposes and had been forthcoming to the council.

The commander told the council the commissary fund receives revenue from commissary product sales, inmate phone services (including text‑message fees), visitation and other services. He said most profit comes from telephone/text services rather than product sales. The commander said the fund pays for items such as inmate drug‑treatment programs (about $50,000 annually), transport and work‑release vehicles, staff training, and facility items such as gym equipment; he said commissary purchases avoid using taxpayer dollars for inmate entertainment.

Council members and staff described three oversight changes driven by the State Board of Accounts: dedicated state contacts for sheriff’s offices, required reporting to the council (the state is suggesting quarterly reporting), and clear statutory lists of permitted expenditures. The presenter reiterated that the resolution codifies existing practice rather than creating new spending.

Melissa Green moved the resolution; Brian Culp seconded. The motion carried 7-0.